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Classical Historiography for Chinese History

Research guide for Chinese Historiography

Bibliography

  • Bol, Peter K., Research Tools for the Study of Sung History. Binghamton: Journal of Sung-Yuan Studies, 1990.
  • Chan, Albert, Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome: A Descriptive Catalogue. Japonica-Sinica I-IV. M. E. Sharpe, 2001.
  • Cole, James H., Updating Wilkinson: An Annotated Bibliography of Reference Works on Imperial China Published Since 1973. New York, 1991.
  • ---, Twentieth Century China: An Annotated Bibliography of Reference Works in Chinese, Japanese, and Western Languages. 2 vols. M. E. Sharpe, 2004.
  • Farmer, Edward L., Romeyn Taylor, & Ann Waltner, Ming History: An Introductory Guide to Research. Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis History Department, 1995.
  • Hucker, Charles O., China: A Critical Bibliography. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1962.
  • Loewe, Michael, Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide. Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, 1994.
  • She hui ke xue gong ju shu qi qian zhong 社 會 科 學 工 具 書 七 千 種 (Seven Thousand Varieties of Research Aids in the Social Sciences). Shanxi ren min chu ban she 陜 西 人 民 出 版 社.
  • Wen shi gong ju shu ci dian 文 史 工 具 書 詞 典 (Dictionary of Research Aids in Literature & History). Compiled by Zhu Hongxi 朱 鴻 熹 , et al. Zhejiang gu ji chu ban she 浙 江 古 籍 出 版 社, 1990.
  • Wilkinson, Endymion, Chinese History: A New Manual. Fifth edition. Cambridge: Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series 84, 2018.
  • ---, The History of Imperial China: A Research Guide. Cambridge: Harvard East Asian Monograph, 1973.
  • Wu Xiaoxin, Christianity in China: A Scholars Guide to Resources in the Libraries and Archives of the United States. 2nd edition. M. E. Sharpe, 2006.
  • Zhongguo gong ju shu da ci dian 中 國 工 具 書 大 詞 典 (Dictionary of Chinese research aids). Compiled by Yang Mu-chih 楊 牧 之 et al. Heilongjiang ren min chu ban she 黑 龍 江 人 民 出 版 社 , 1993.
  • Zhongguo li shi gong ju shu zhi nan 中 國 工 具 書 指 南 (Guide to Chinese History Reference Works). Compiled by Lin Tiesen 林 鐵 森. Beijing: Beijing chu ban she, 1992.
  • Zurndorfer, Harriet T., China Bibliography: A Research Guide to Reference Works about China Past and Present. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1995.

General Dictionaries

  • Ci hai 辭 海. Compiled by Shu Xincheng 舒 新 城 and others. Shanghai: Zhonghua shu ju, 1937. Frequently reprinted. New version revised by Ci hai bian ji wei yuan hui. Xianggang: Zhonghua shu ju, 1989.
  • Ci yuan 辭 源. Compiled by Lu Erkui 陸 爾 奎 and others. Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1955. Frequently reprinted. New version revised by Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Henan Ci yuan xiu ding zu, and Shang wu yin shu guan bian ji bu. 4 vols. Beijing: Shang wu yin shu guan, 1979-1984.
  • Courveur, Seraphin, Dictionnaire classique de la langue chinoise. Hsienhsien: Press de la Mission Catholique, 1890. Taipei reprint, 1966.
  • Dai Kanwa jiten 大 漢 和 辭 典 (Encyclopedic Chinese-Japanese Dictionary) 13 vols. Compiled by Morohashi Tetsuji 諸 橋 轍 次. Tokyo: Taishukan shoten, 1955-60. The best multi-volume Chinese-Japanese dictionary of classical Chinese. Biased toward philosophy, religion, and Buddhism in particular.
  • Giles, Herbert Allen, Chinese-English Dictionary. 2 vols. Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh, 1912 (Later editions in 1 vol).
  • Guo yu ci dian 國 語 辭 典. Compiled by the Zhongguo ci dian bian zuan chu 中 國 辭 典 編 纂 處. 8 vols. Shanghai: Commerical Press 1948. Taipei reprint in 4 vols.
  • Guo, Zhengzhong 郭 正 忠, Zhongguo quan heng du liang san zhi shi si shi ji 中 國 權 衡 度 量 三 至 十 四 世 紀 (Chinese Weights and Measures: 3rd to 14th centuries). Beijing: She hui ke xue, 1993.
  • Han yu da ci dian 漢 語 大 辭 典 Complied by Luo Zhufeng 羅 竹 風 Shanghai: Shanghai ci shu chu ban she, 1987.
  • Han yu da zi dian 漢 語 大 字 典. Compiled by Han yu da zi dian wei yuan hui. Wuhan: Hubei ci shu chu ban she, 1986.
  • Mathews, Robert Henry, Mathews' Chinese-English Dictionary. Rev. ed. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1944. Dated, and no longer recommended for specialists or beginners.
  • Qiu, Guangming 丘光明, Zhongguo li dai du liang heng kao 中 國 歷 代 度 量 衡 考 (Study of historical weights and measures in China through the dynasties). Beijing: Ke xue, 1992. Another standard and comprehensive study of historical weights and measures.
  • For Chinese weights and measures, see Wu, Chengluo, 1937: Zhongguo du liang heng shi 中 國 度 量 衡 史 (History of Chinese metrology). 2d printing, Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1957. Wu gives detailed tables with citations for every type of measure.
  • Zhong wen da ci dian 中 文 大 辭 典 (Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Chinese Language). Compiled under the direction of Zhang Qiyun 張 其 昀. 40 vols. Taipei: The Institute of Advanced Chinese Studies, 1962. Represents a Chinese translation of the Dai Kanwa jiten 大 漢 和 辭 典.

Biography

  • Ajia rekishi jiten 亞 細 亞 歷 史 事 典 (Historical Dictionary of Asia, 10 vols). Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1962.
  • Er shi si shi ji zhuan ren ming suo yin 二 十 四 史 紀 傳 人 名 索 引. Compiled by Zhang Chenshi 張 忱 石 , Wu Shuping 吳 樹 平. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1980.
  • Er shi wu shi ren ming suo yin 二 十 五 史 人 名 索 引 (An Index to the Names of People in the Twenty-Five Histories). Compiled by Zhang Xichen 章 錫 琛. Shanghai: Kai ming shu ju, 1935.
  • Franke, H., Sung Biographies. 3 vols. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1976.
  • Giles, Herbert A., A Chinese Biographical Dictionary. Shanghai: Kelly & Walsh, 1898. Taipei reprint 1971.
  • Goodrich, L. Carrington, ed. Dictionary of Ming Biography. New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1976.
  • Gu jin ren wu bie ming suo yin 古 今 人 物 別 名 索 引 (An Index to the Different Names of Famous Chinese, Ancient and Modern). Compiled by Chen Deyun 陳 德 蕓. Canton: Lingnan University Library, 1937. Taipei reprint 1969.
  • Gu, Tinglong 顧 廷 龍 , Zhongguo li da ren wu nian pu kao lu 中 國 歷 代 人 物 年 譜 考 錄 . Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1992.
  • Hummel, Arthur W., ed., Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912). 2 vols. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1943-1944. Reprinted in 1 vol. by Cheng Wen Press in Taiwan, 1966.
  • Li dai ren wu nian li tong pu 歷 代 人 物 年 里 通 譜 (A Comprehensive Chronology of Famous Chinese). Compiled by Yang Jialuo 楊 家 駱. Taibei: Shi jie shu ju, 1963.
  • Qing ren shi ming bie cheng zi hao suo yin 清 人 室 名 別 號 字 號 索 引. Compiled by Yang Tingfu 楊 廷 福. Shanghai: Shanghai gu ji chu ban she, 1988.
  • Shi ming bie hao suo yin 室 名 別 號 索 引. Compiled by Chen Naiqian 陳 乃 乾. Beijing: Zhonghua shu ju, 1982.
  • Taga, Akigoro 多 賀 秋 五 郎 , Sofu no kenkyu 宗 譜 の 研 究 (A study of genealogies). Tokyo: Toyo bunko, 1960.
  • Zhongguo jin xian dai ren wu ming hao da ci dian 中 國 近 現 代 人 物 名 號 大 辭 典. Compiled by Chen Yutang 陳 玉 堂. Hangzhou: Zhejiang gu ji chu ban she, 1993.
  • Zhongguo ren ming da ci dian 中 國 人 名 大 辭 典 (Biographical Encyclopedia of China). Compiled by Fang Yi 方 毅 and others. Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1934. Frequently reprinted.
  • Zhongguo wen xue jie da ci dian 中 國 文 學 家 大 辭 典 (Encyclopedia of Chinese Scholars). Compiled by Tan Zhengbi 譚 正 璧. Shanghai: Guang ming shu ju, 1934. Frequently reprinted. Many chronological errors.

Chronology

  • Dong, Zuobin 董 作 賓, Chronological Tables of Chinese History. 2 vols. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 1960.
  • Tchang, Matthias, Synchronismes chinois. Shanghai: Mission Catholique, 1905 (Varietes Sinologiques, no. 24). Taipei reprint, 1967.
  • Zhang Peiyu 張培瑜, San qian wu bai nian li ri tian xiang三 千 五 百 年 歷 日 天 象 (Three thousand five hundred years of astronomical and chronological tables). 鄭 州 Zhengzhou, 1997. Covers 1500 B.C. to A.D. 2050 with unprecedented precision.

Official Titles

  • Chang, Fu-jui, Les Fonctionnaires des Song, index des titres. Paris: Mouton et Compagnie, 1962.
  • De Crespigny, Rafe, Official Titles of the Former Han Dynasty. Canberra: Australia National University Press, 1967.
  • Des Rotours, Robert, Traite des fonctionnaires et traite del'armee. 2 vols. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1947.
  • Hucker, Charles O., A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1985. Now the standard reference book.
  • Li dai zhi guan biao 歷 代 職 官 表 (A Chronological Listing of Offical Titles). Compiled by Ji Yun 紀 昀. First published during the Qianlong period (1736-1795). Frequently reprinted.
  • Zhongguo fa lu zhi du shi yan jiu tong lan 中 國 法 律 制 度 史 通 覽 (Comprehensive view of Research on Chinese legal and institutional history). Tianjin: 天 津 教 育 出 版 社 , 1989.
  • Zhongguo li dai guan zhi da ci dian 中 國 歷 代 官 職 大 詞 典 (Greater dictionary of Chinese official offices throughout the dynasties), compiled by Lu Zongli 呂 宗 力 . Beijing: Beijing chu ban she, 1995. ISBN 7-200-01635-7/2-170.

Book Titles

  • Kanseki sosho jozai mokuroku 漢 籍 叢 書 所 在 目 錄. Toyo bunken chushin 東 洋 文 獻 中 心, 1965.
  • Si ku quan shu zong mu ji wei shou shu mu yin de 四 庫 全 書 總 目 及 未 收 書 目 引 得 (Index to the Catalog of the Si ku quan shu and to the Books that were not printed in that Collection). 2 vols. Compiled by James Ware and revised by Weng Tu-chien. Peking, 1932 (Harvard-Yenching Index Series, No. 5).
  • Yi wen zhi er shi zhong zong he yin de 藝 文 志 二十 種 綜 合 引 得 (Combined Index to the Twenty Dynastic Bibliographies). 4 vols. Compiled by William Hung and others. Peking, 1933 (Harvard-Yenching Index Series, No. 10)
  • Zeng ding Si ku jian ming mu lu biao zhu 增 定四 庫 簡 明 目 錄 標 注 (Additions and Corrections to the Standard Commentary on the Abbreviated Book List of the Ssu-k'u). Compiled by Shao Yichen 邵 懿 辰. Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1959.
  • Zhongguo cong shu zong lu 中 國 叢 書 綜 錄 (Comprehensive Descriptive Catalog of Book Collections). Compiled by the Shanghai Library. 3 vols. Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1959. See under Collectanea.

Geography

  • Chun qiu zhan guo di tu 春 秋 戰 國 地 圖 (Atlas of the Spring and Autamn and Warring States Periods). Compiled by Deng Xingju 鄧 興 鉅. Wuchang, 1911.
  • Hermann, Albert, Historical and Commercial Atlas of China. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1935. New ed. by Aldine Publishing Co. , Chicago, 1966. It also appears as An Historical Atlas of China.
  • Li dai yu di tu 歷 代 輿 地 圖 (Historical Atlas of China). Compiled by Yang Shoujing 楊 守 敬 and Xiong Huizhen 熊 會 貞. Published 1906.
  • Shinego, Aneki 重 野 安 繹, Shina kyoiki enkakuzu 支 那 疆 域 沿 革 圖 (Historical Altas of China). Tokyo, 1906.
  • Zhongguo gu jin de ming da ci dian 中 國 古 今 地 名 大 辭 典 (Encyclopedic Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Place Names in China). Compiled by Zang Lihe 臧 勵 龢 and others. Shanghai: Commerical Press, 1930. Taipei reprint 1966.